MORE than two million tourists arrived in Boracay Island in Aklan from January to December this year, according to the Malay Tourism Office.
This already exceeded the target of 1.8 million tourist arrivals in the island destination for this year.
Many travelers were still arriving over the weekend to celebrate Christmas Day on the island.
Local authorities reminded tourists to be responsible travelers and keep the island clean and safe.
In a recent meeting of the 2nd Boracay-Caticlan Sustainable Development Council, among the topics discussed was how to improve services and make the island more tourist-friendly, be it local or foreign. These included allowing beach beds and umbrellas, extending night swimming time to 9 p.m., allowing food and drinks in party boats, suspending fees for foreign tour guides, and having a unified ticket on Jetty Port.
The provincial government of Aklan has lifted one of its entry requirements, allowing tourists to set foot on the island without presenting hotel booking vouchers.
Starting Nov. 15, visitors will no longer have to submit ‘hotel vouchers’ via the AKQUIRE System to secure a Quick Response code before entering the island or any point in the province of Aklan.
The Philippine Coast Guard as well as the airports operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines are on heightened alert status for the Christmas season.
The Bureau of Immigration earlier said it was expecting 1.5 million individuals to arrive in the Philippines in December as trends show a major increase in travelers in 2023.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said they recorded around 1 million arrivals monthly by the second quarter, an increase from the 100,000 arrivals per month during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. (GMA Integrated News)/PN
